Quality Engineer – Injection Molding

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Schedule: On-site, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Compensation: Approximately $80,000–$90,000, depending on experience

POSITION OVERVIEW

Nolato San Antonio is seeking a hands-on Quality Engineer to support plastic injection-molding operations, customer quality requirements, new-product activity, and continuous improvement initiatives.

This position is well suited for a practical, self-directed Quality Engineer who can investigate production issues, lead corrective actions, work directly with customers, and collaborate effectively with production and engineering teams. The successful candidate will understand how a manufacturing quality system operates in practice—not simply the terminology behind it—and will be comfortable managing priorities with minimal supervision.

The Quality Engineer will also coordinate Nolato’s established ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Previous ISO 14001 experience is helpful but not required for someone with a strong foundation in another ISO-based quality system.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Manufacturing and Customer Quality

• Provide hands-on quality engineering support to plastic injection-molding and related manufacturing operations.
• Investigate production nonconformances, customer complaints, process variation, and other quality concerns.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action efforts using methodologies such as 8D, CAPA, 5 Why, and fishbone analysis.
• Coordinate corrective actions across quality, production, engineering, and other departments and verify their effectiveness.
• Communicate directly with customers regarding quality issues, corrective actions, documentation, and follow-up activities.
• Monitor quality performance data, identify trends, and recommend preventive or continuous-improvement actions.
• Manage held inventory, establish priorities, support material disposition, and coordinate customer returns and RMAs.
• Participate in daily production meetings and help drive quality issues through resolution.
• Provide technical direction and support to Quality Technicians working on the production floor.
• Train employees on inspection methods, quality requirements, and documentation practices.

Quality Systems, Audits, and Validation

• Support and improve quality processes and procedures in accordance with applicable customer requirements and standards, including ISO 13485 and IATF 16949.
• Participate in internal, customer, and third-party certification audits.
• Support audit preparation, documentation, responses, and timely closure of findings.
• Assist with product and process validation activities for new and transferred products.
• Develop, review, and maintain quality documentation such as control plans, PFMEAs, inspection requirements, and work instructions.
• Perform statistical and process-capability analysis using SPC and other quality-analysis tools.
• Support calibration activities, measurement-system studies, and related documentation.
• Review and approve medical-product batch records as assigned.
• Prepare quality reports, customer documentation, and management-review information.
• Support Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and other continuous-improvement initiatives.

Environmental Management System

• Coordinate and maintain the facility’s established ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.
• Support environmental audits, inspections, objectives, metrics, documentation, and corrective actions.
• Help maintain required environmental records and support waste-management, recycling, pollution-prevention, and employee-awareness initiatives.
• Coordinate with plant leadership and other internal resources regarding applicable environmental requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Three or more years of hands-on Quality Engineer or closely related manufacturing-quality experience.
• Experience supporting plastic injection molding, molded plastic components, or a closely related plastics-manufacturing process.
• Practical experience working within an ISO-based or comparable regulated quality system.
• Experience investigating nonconformances and leading root-cause analysis and corrective-action activities.
• Experience supporting internal, customer, or certification audits.
• Ability to interpret quality data and apply findings to real manufacturing problems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interact directly with customers.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and drive assigned objectives to completion.
• Postsecondary education in engineering, manufacturing, quality, industrial technology, or a related discipline. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, but relevant technical education combined with strong Quality Engineer experience will be considered.
• Current authorization to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with one or more of the following standards:
• ISO 13485
• IATF 16949
• ISO 9001
• ISO 14001
• Automotive or medical-device manufacturing experience.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, SPC, process capability, MSA, or Gage R&R.
• Experience supporting process validation or new-product introduction.
• Experience using Lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or other structured continuous-improvement methods.
• Experience coordinating or providing work direction to quality technicians.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer or related quality certification.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

The successful Quality Engineer will quickly develop an understanding of Nolato’s products and manufacturing processes, build productive relationships with customers and internal teams, and independently drive quality issues to resolution. This person will combine sound quality-system knowledge with practical judgment, curiosity, accountability, and a willingness to work directly with the people and processes on the production floor.

Occasional schedule flexibility may be necessary to support audits, critical production issues, or meetings with customers in other time zones. Nolato currently operates from two nearby San Antonio facilities, and the position may support activities at both locations.